A Vero Neighbor Wants to Help Ambulances Get Through Route 60

Vero Beach is having a moment. Skyscanner put us at the top of its list of trending U.S. destinations for 2027. It is great news for our restaurants, shops and hotels. It also got one neighbor thinking about something most of us never consider: what happens when an ambulance needs to get through Route 60 on a busy day?

Ken George has lived in Vero for almost 13 years, and his father was a police officer, so how emergency crews get through traffic is personal. After watching an Indian River County Fire Rescue ambulance wait at a red light on Route 60, Ken started an early research project called Safe Passage.

"In an emergency, seconds matter," Ken wrote when he shared the idea with neighbors.

What is Safe Passage?

Safe Passage is an independent research project looking at how intersections could work better for emergency vehicles in Indian River County. It is still in the discovery stage, and Ken is clear about what it is and is not. He does not represent a public agency, and no solution has been chosen. Any future grant application would need to be led by an eligible public agency.

The project page says a pilot, if one ever happens, could begin with just one or two intersections, measured before and after with independent review.

Illustration: Vero Vine

How does the technology work?

The idea is called emergency vehicle preemption. As an ambulance or fire truck approaches an intersection, the system turns the signal green in its direction. That clears the waiting cars ahead so the crew is not stuck behind them, and it gets everyone else stopped before the emergency vehicle arrives.

Some systems use a line-of-sight signal from the vehicle to the traffic light. Newer ones use GPS, cellular and radio connections, which can start the process from farther away.

Has this worked in Florida?

Other Florida communities offer some encouraging examples.

Hillsborough County reports that its GPS-linked system covers more than 85% of the county and saves about 30 seconds on every emergency response call.
Seminole County saw response times improve by about 90 seconds on average, according to a Florida Department of Transportation case study.

Those are each community's own results, and every road network is different. Part of what Safe Passage hopes to learn is what is already in place here. The state's regional transportation plan already lists preemption for emergency vehicles among Indian River County Public Works' responsibilities, so the first step is simply to find out which intersections have what.

What you can do today

You do not need new technology to help. Florida law already tells drivers what to do when an emergency vehicle approaches with its lights or siren on:

Move right away to the side of the road, as close to the curb as is reasonable.
Make sure you are clear of the intersection.
Stop, and stay put until the emergency vehicle has passed.

If you are already sitting at a red light, stay calm, look around and give the crew room to get by.

Have you seen it happen?

Ken is collecting real experiences from people who drive these roads. If you have seen an emergency vehicle stuck at a Vero intersection, he would like to hear about it. You can learn more on the Safe Passage page.

We love a story like this one. A neighbor saw something, cared enough to dig in and invited the rest of us along. That is Vero at its best.

Images in this story are illustrations created by Vero Vine.

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Ava Cook

Community Manager at Vero Vine

Hello!
My name is Ava Cook and I am a Freshman at Florida Southern College in Lakeland FL. I am currently a B.F.A musical theatre major with a minor in Business Administration. I love reading, singing, acting, dancing, and writing. My favorite part about Vero Beach and Indian River County as a whole is how close the community is. Vero Vine is important to me as it allows me to do my part it bringing the community together also, sharing events, small businesses, and other local happenings. If you have any questions or any recommendations for me, my email is always open [email protected].